Methods and apparatus for automatic generation of recommended links

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for automatically generating a list of recommended links for a user are disclosed. For a particular user, one or more criteria for use in generating a list of recommended links are identified or selected by the user. A list of one or more recommended links is then generated and provided to the user.

1 . A method of providing recommended links to a-user, the method comprising: 
 executing a plurality of recommended links agents, each of the recommended links agents being adapted to identify a list of links that may be provided to the user as recommended links in an associated class of recommendations; and    providing a plurality of recommended links to a user, wherein the recommended links are arranged in a plurality of different classes of recommendations, and wherein at least one of the different classes has multiple associated recommended links.    
   
   
       2 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein a selected one of the recommended links agents is arranged to recommend links to websites that are believed to be similar to at least one website that the user has previously visited.  
   
   
       3 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein a selected one of the recommended links agents is arranged to recommend links to category pages, each category page being arranged to identify websites that are categorized in a category that includes at least one website that the user has previously visited.  
   
   
       4 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein a selected one of the recommended links agents is arranged to recommend links to websites that are selected from a set of websites that the user has visited within a specified period of time.  
   
   
       5 . A method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the classes of recommendations include: 
 a related links class which includes recommended links that are believed to be similar to websites that the user has previously visited;    a related categories class which includes recommended links to category pages, each category page being arranged to identify websites that are categorized in a category that includes at least one website that the user has previously visited; and    a frequently visited sites that includes sites that the user has frequently visited.    
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the recommended links are provided to the user via one of: 
 a web page accessed by the user;    an e-mail message; and    as part of a list of bookmarks associated with the user.    
   
   
       7 . A method of providing recommended links to a user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining a list of one or more links visited by the user during a specified period of time;    identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user or a second individual; and    providing the subset of the list of one or more links to the user or the second individual as recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL.    
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising tracking the browsing history of the user in order to facilitate obtaining the list of one or more links visited by the user during the specified period of time, wherein the browsing history is tracked by sending at least some page turn information to a history server while the user is browsing, and wherein the user is identified by at least one of a toolbar identifier, a user identifier and an IP address.  
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the recommended links are provided to the second individual and the second individual shares a set of characteristics with the user.  
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the set of characteristics comprises at least one of gender, age, race, geographic location, employer, school, organization affiliation, interests, e-mail provider and birthplace.  
   
   
       11 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user comprises: 
 identifying a subset of the list of one or more links such that only URLs that have been visited by the user greater than a specified number of times are identified.    
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user comprises: 
 identifying an intersection between the list of one or more links identifying URLs that have been visited by the user during the specified period of time and a second list of one or more links.    
   
   
       13 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the selected recommended links agent is arranged to: 
 for each link in a browsing history associated with the user, determine similar sites; and    ranking at least some of the similar sites, based at least in part on the number of links in the browsing history that the site is determined to be similar to, wherein the recommended links recommended by the selected recommended links agent are based at least in part on the ranking of the similar sites.    
   
   
       14 . A method of providing recommended links to a user, comprising: 
 generating a list of one or more recommended links for each of a plurality of criteria, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL; and    providing each list of one or more recommended links for each of the plurality of criteria to the user.    
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising obtaining from the user, a selection of at least some parameters used to define the criteria used to generate at least one of the lists.  
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the recommended links are presented as part of a list of bookmarks associated with the user.  
   
   
       17 . A method of providing recommended links to a user, comprising: 
 obtaining a selection by the user of one or more agents, each of the agents being adapted for providing a list of one or more links to the user as recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL;    executing the one or more agents such that a list of one or more recommended links is generated in association with each of the agents; and    providing the list of one or more recommended links generated in association with each of the agents such that multiple lists of recommended links are provided to the user.    
   
   
       18 . A method of providing recommended links to a first user based on sites accessed by other users that are part of a user group that includes the first user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining a list of one or more links that are associated with other users in the user group by having been accessed by and bookmarked by another user in the user group;    selecting at least one recommended link from the list of links based at least in part on the number of other users that are associated with the link; and    providing a list of one or more as recommended links to the user.    
   
   
       19 . The method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the group of users is selected from the group consisting of: the user's family, a group of friends of the user, a group of friends of the group of friends of the user, a company associated with the user, a club to which the user belongs, or an association to which the user belongs.  
   
   
       20 . The method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein each of the links were visited or selected as a bookmark during a specified period of time.  
   
   
       21 . A method of providing recommended links to a user, the method comprising: 
 obtaining a list of one or more links, each of the one or more links being selected as a bookmark by or corresponding to a purchase history of at least one user during a specified period of time;    identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user; and    providing the subset of the list of one or more links to the user as recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL.    
   
   
       22 . A method of providing recommended links to a user via a website, comprising: 
 identifying a set of characteristics of the user;    identifying a set of individuals who share the set of characteristics with the user;    obtaining a list of one or more links, each of the list of links being selected as a bookmark by or corresponding to a URL visited by at least one of the set of individuals who share the set of characteristics with the user via the website during a specified period of time; and    providing the list of one or more links to the user as recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL.    
   
   
       23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the set of characteristics are pre-defined.  
   
   
       24 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the set of characteristics are selectable by the user.  
   
   
       25 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the set of characteristics comprise at least one of gender, age, race, geographic location, employer, school, organization affiliation, interests and residence.  
   
   
       26 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the set of characteristics comprises one or more items that have been purchased by the user and each of the set of individuals.  
   
   
       27 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the set of characteristics comprises a set of URLs that have been visited by the user and each of the set of individuals.  
   
   
       28 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the set of characteristics comprises a set of bookmarks that have been selected by the user and each of the set of individuals.  
   
   
       29 . A method of providing recommended links to a user via a website, the method comprising: 
 identifying a set of characteristics of the user;    identifying a set of individuals who share the set of characteristics with the user;    obtaining a list of one or more links corresponding to URLs visited by at least one of the set of individuals who share the set of characteristics with the user via the website;    identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user; and    providing the subset of the list of one or more links to the user as recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL.    
   
   
       30 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the set of characteristics comprises one or more items that have been purchased by the user and each of the set of individuals.  
   
   
       31 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the set of characteristics comprises a set of URLs that have been visited by the user and each of the set of individuals.  
   
   
       32 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user comprises: 
 identifying a subset of the list of one or more links that have been visited by at least one of the set of individuals with a frequency that is greater than a specified frequency during a specified period of time.    
   
   
       33 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user comprises: 
 identifying a subset of the list of one or more links corresponding to URLs that have been visited by a majority of the set of individuals with a frequency that is greater than a specified frequency during a specified period of time.    
   
   
       34 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user comprises: 
 identifying a subset of the list of one or more links corresponding to URLs that have been visited by a majority of the set of individuals.    
   
   
       35 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user comprises: 
 identifying an intersection of the list of one or more links corresponding to URLs that have been visited by at least one of the set of individuals who share the set of characteristics with the user via the website and a second list of one or more links.    
   
   
       36 . The method as recited in  claim 35 , wherein the second list of one or more links is a list of one or more links corresponding to URLs visited by the user via the website.  
   
   
       37 . The method as recited in  claim 35 , wherein the second list of one or more links is a list of one or more links corresponding to URLs visited by the user via the website during a specified period of time.  
   
   
       38 . A method of providing a list of recommended links to a user, comprising: 
 generating a list of one or more recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL;    providing the list of one or more recommended links to the user;    receiving a selection of one or more of the recommended links; and    transferring the selected one or more of the recommended links to a list of bookmarks associated with the user.    
   
   
       39 . The method as recited in  claim 38 , wherein receiving and transferring steps are accomplished using a drag-and-drop operation.  
   
   
       40 . The method as recited in  claim 38 , further comprising: 
 obtaining a selection by the user of one or more criteria for use in generating the list of recommended links.    
   
   
       41 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the selected recommended links agent is arranged to: 
 for each link in a browsing history associated with the user, determine at least one category that the link is associated with; and    ranking at least some of the categories, based at least in part on the number of links in the browsing history that the category is determined to be associated with, wherein the recommended links recommended by the selected recommended links agent are based at least in part on the ranking of the categories.    
   
   
       42 . A method of providing recommended links to a user based at least in part on the user's browsing history, the method comprising: 
 obtaining a list of one or more links corresponding to URL visited by the user during a specified period of time;    identifying a subset of the list of one or more links to be recommended to the user; and    providing the subset of the list of one or more links to the user as recommended links, each of the recommended links corresponding to a URL.    
   
   
       43 . The method as recited in  claim 42 , wherein the specified period of time is a recurring event that occurs over an extended time period.  
   
   
       44 . The method as recited in  claim 42  wherein the recurring event is selected from the group consisting of mornings, afternoons, evenings, late nights, weekdays, weekends, annual holidays and portions thereof.  
   
   
       45 . The method as recited in  claim 42 , wherein the recurring event is a type of sporting event.  
   
   
       46 . The method as recited in  claim 42 , wherein the specified period of time is a continuous block of time selected from the group consisting of 24 hours, a week, a month, 3 months, or a year.